Day 39 In A Row Over 100 In North Texas While I Ponder Inner Tubing In The Green Trinity River

Looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell on the second Tuesday of August, Day 9, I am seeing something that has been a bit rare of late.

Clouds.

According to the forecast there is 0% chance of precipitation today in North Texas. So, those clouds are just a big tease in the sky.

Today will be Day 39 in a Row of 100 degrees or more, as measured at the official temperature monitoring station at D/FW Airport.

21 days til September arrives. In Septembers of the past, in Texas, by the end of September the temperature of the pool starts to be a slight bit of a challenge to acclimate to. I will be glad when that day arrives.

Today is my pool-free day due to the pool getting its weekly shock.

I do not know if the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is shocking the Trinity River in preparation for Thursday's Rockin' the River Inner Tube Happy Hour Float in the currently very green river.

Perhaps the TRVB could use Fort Worth's former goofy mayor, Mike Moncrief's method for dying the Trinity River purple, to dispense chemicals to turn the formerly purple river a more aesthetically pleasant color than green.

I suppose crystal clear, like a swimming pool, is out of the question.

I can not help but wonder what sort of testing is done of the river water in the Happy Hour Zone prior to encouraging 100s of people to get in the green water?

The Paradise Center's Elizabeth's Heart

I got a blog comment this morning from someone calling him or herself "Anonymous" that those of you who have been following the Paradise Center Scandal and who know the story of Elizabeth, will find of interest.

This is what Anonymous had to say......

Durango, I was told by two people from Paradise Center that Elizabeth had surgery to repair the hole in her heart. The couple said she had the procedure in Childrens Hospital at Dallas. Thought you might want to check it out and let folks know who love and follow Paradise Center happenings.

I hope Elizabeth and her mom and dad are doing well. This family has been through a lot the past couple years. The Battle to Save Carter Avenue from having an un-odorized natural gas pipeline run under the homes of Carter Avenue, which was a battle successfully waged by Elizabeth's dad, Steve, also known as Fort Worth's Lone Ranger.

And then the family got hit by the Paradise Center Scandal via the unscrupulous underhanded dealings of a corrupt Tarrant County Agency, MHMR-TC and its equally corrupt, irresponsible, unethical, inhumane co-horts in bad behavior.

I will try and find out where get well cards can be sent to Elizabeth. I suppose the Paradise Center address would work. That would be 525 South Henderson Street, Fort Worth.

Walking With My Mom & The Ghosts Along Village Creek Thinking About Cherry Pie

Today I learned that dialing my camera to the "Aquarium" setting makes for a much better picture of the reflection in the Village Creek mirror than my previous attempt.

I called my mom when I left air-conditioned comfort to drive to the Village Creek Natural Historic Area to walk in the shade with the ghosts and my mom.

Mom and dad got back home yesterday from their trip to Washington.

I found out, via talking to my mom, I was wrong in my assumption as to what pass they took to get over the Cascades to see my aunt in Eastern Washington. They took the northernmost pass, the North Cross State Highway, also known as the North Cascades Pass, among other things it is known by, like the road that passes through North Cascades National Park. Or simply Highway 20, which is what my mom called it.

Mom and dad got peaches and cherries in Eastern Washington, among other things. I'd been lamenting missing cherries and good cherry pie just yesterday.

Cherry pie came up whilst talking to my mom when I asked about their eldest grandson making them dinner at his house in Mount Vernon. My two oldest nephews were there. And my oldest nephew's oldest, Spencer Jack. And Spencer Jack's grandma, who is my favorite ex-sister-in-law, who brought what my mom said was really good cherry pie.

Anyone reading this who happened to be a Twin Peaks fan knows cherry pie and the Pacific Northwest go together. Along with coffee.

After I lamented my lack of cherry pie my mom told me to look for Marie Callender, suggesting she might provide a worthy substitute in my current cherry deprived location.

The last time I had a cherry was at the Fremont Sunday Market in Seattle, sometime in August of 2008. They were Rainier cherries. Great big ones.

The 2nd Monday Of August In North Texas Will Likely Be Day 38 In A Row Over 100

My first look out my primary viewing portal on the world at the 2nd Monday of August occurred after the sun had already begun its daily heating and lighting duties.

Even though the sun has been up for over a half hour it has only managed to warm the exterior of my immediate vicinity to 83.9 degrees. That is almost the temperature my air conditioner is reducing the interior HEAT to.

Today will most likely be Day 38 in a Row of 100 degrees or higher as measured at the official temperature measuring station at D/FW Airport. 42 Days in a Row is the record.

I read this morning that the number of Global Warming Deniers in North Texas is declining. I do not know what is causing this decline.

I think I will go swimming now before it gets any hotter.

Fort Worth's Fosdic Lake Ducks Do Not Seem To Be Enjoying the HEAT or Fosdic Lake

The heat seems to be stressing out the Fosdic Lake ducks. Or maybe it is Fosdic Lake that is stressing the ducks.

Twice within the last week I have found the Fosdic Lake ducks out of the water, huddled under the shade of a tree on the eastern shoreline of Fosdic Lake.

Is the lake water too HOT for the ducks? Is the lake water too polluted? Are the Fosdic Lake ducks the parakeets in the Fort Worth metaphoric mine, warning that the water is not safe?

I saw only one turtle in Fosdic Lake today. Where have all the turtles gone? Usually the Fosdic Turtles are sunning themselves on any available log when it is HOT.

There were a couple guys fishing in Fosdic Lake today, despite the signs warning about consuming Fosdic Fish.

It was only 98.7 when I left air-conditioned comfort today, around noon, to enjoy walking around the polluted lake called Fosdic in Oakland Lake Park.

I was surprised to see a group of guys playing baseball in the noonday sun. Maybe there was a cooling breezing blowing off Fosdic Lake.

There were a couple people enjoying what appeared to be a picnic under cover in the picnic pavilion.

I do not remember if I've mentioned previously that it perplexes me that, in this city of over 700,000, there are parks, like Oakland Lake Park, with picnic facilities with no running water or restroom facilities.

Is Fort Worth somehow immune from the health and sanitation rules that operate in other parts of America?

Like I said, it is perplexing.

The First Sunny Sunday Of August In Texas Will Be Day 37 Over 100

Looking at the Shadow of the Skinny Dipping Thin Man you can see the sun has not yet arrived on the first sunny Sunday of August and already those distant nuclear explosions in the sky have heated the pre-dawn darkness to 86 degrees.

Today will be Day 37 in a Row of 100 degrees or higher as measured at the official temperature measuring station of North Texas at D/FW Airport.

I have yet to locate my mom and dad, who, today, begin day 21,901 of wedded bliss. Give or take a day or two.

Meanwhile up in my old home zone it is currently 54.1. The Puget Sound region has had two days in the 80s this summer. Carlotta Camano thinks air-conditioning needs to be installed in her house to combat those rare instances of sweltering heat. Carlotta's current husband is not agreeing to taking cooling measures. He must not realize what a delicate orchid he married.

The sun has now arrived to light up Sunday and turn up the HEAT. Which means it is time to take my sunny Sunday skinny dip.

My Mom & Dad In Tacoma A Week Ago With Their 3 Youngest Grandchildren

I've yet to locate my mom and dad today, on their 60th Anniversary.

A few minutes ago I saw that the poodles, Blue & Max, had added some new pictures of my mom and dad to their blog.

In the picture I can't tell if mom and dad are in my sister's front or back yard. I can say for certain they are in Tacoma.

Ignore the blue sky behind them. Puget Sounders are not supposed to send pictures out of state that show a blue sky in Western Washington. This type thing wreaks havoc with the "It is Always Raining and Overcast" reputation.

I can not tell which twin mom and dad is holding. My best guess is mom is holding Ruby Jean while dad has Theo John. Both mom and dad look as if they are having trouble holding the babies.

Meanwhile, David in the middle is grateful no one is picking him up.

In Texas Thinking About Escaping The Heat In My Birthday Suit

Looking for pictures of my mom and dad from long ago, from before they had kids, I came upon a picture of me that I don't remember giving permission to have taken.

This picture would seem to indicate I have had a longer history than I realized of laying around in my birthday suit.

I have no idea what that is I am laying on. Or what that is on the wall above me.

I vaguely recollect a story told by my parental units of a picture of me being sent to my Grandpa and Grandma up in Lynden, Washington, from my place of birth in Eugene, Oregon, with Grandpa sending mom and dad some money, with a note telling them to buy that boy some clothes.

I suspect it must have been this picture which was sent to my Grandpa and Grandma.

Currently I have one more item of clothing on than I do in the picture. The current temperature makes it tempting to seek further HEAT relief by getting rid of that one item of clothing.

I wonder if there is anyone I could send a current picture to who would take pity on me and send me money so I could go buy some clothes?

The Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man Has Grown Fatter

Being on the Tandy Hills in the noon time frame seems to have added some heft to the Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man.

I don't think I'd been on the Tandy Hills since last Saturday. The HEAT has been too HOT, making HOT hill hiking seem not all that appealing.

But today, even though the temperature was slightly over 100, a good steady wind was blowing, thus making the HEAT a little easier to tolerate.

Of late I stick 3 water bottles in the freezer a couple hours before leaving air-conditioned comfort. Really cold water with chunks of ice floating in it makes the HEAT seem less HOT.

I went to Town Talk after my short bout of hill hiking. Frozen blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries were my big find on the Town Talk treasure hunt today. I've been making big pitchers of fruit smoothies lately.

I am very slightly tempted to go swimming again. But it is 104.6 degrees out there right now. That makes the cement surrounding the pool very very HOT.

I Hope Mom & Dad Are Having A Happy 60th Anniversary Day

 I think I may have already mentioned that today is my mom and dad's 60th Wedding Anniversary.

Soon after getting married my dad was sent to Germany. This was during the Korean War.

If I remember right, while my dad was in Europe my mom lived and worked in Seattle.

When my dad returned to America his re-entry point was New York City. My mom was there to meet him.

I don't know if I've ever asked how it was my mom got to New York City. I do know from New York City my mom and dad somehow acquired a car and proceeded to drive across America.

Mom and dad's roadtrip across America occurred before the Interstate freeways were built.

I have seen my mom and dad's box of mementos from this trip. In that box are things like the ticket to ride the elevator to the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Motel receipts for $2 a night. That's the only two things I can remember.

Mom and dad took many roadtrips over the years. Eventually they would take their kids on long roadtrips, something which instilled in their oldest, me, the love of a good roadtrip.

The last good roadtrip I have been on was driving myself, solo, from Texas to Washington for mom and dad's 50th Anniversary Party. Below is a picture of mom and dad opening gifts at that party on August 11, 2001, precisely one month before disaster struck America.

When mom and dad retired my sisters took them on a cruise. When mom and dad got back from the cruise they took off on something they'd long planned on doing. That being once more driving across America. This time in a RV.

I forget how long mom and dad's retirement roadtrip lasted. I do remember being down in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving, staying at Treasure Island, and mom and dad showing up. My mom had a big box of Christmas presents she insisted would be no problem for me to smuggle onboard a plane.

Almost 10 years ago I made a website that had a lot of old family photos. Among other things. I'd not looked at those in a long time. In a folder I called "Pre-Kids" I found several pictures of mom and dad, pre-kids. I believe the desert picture is in Death Valley, taken on their drive across America that started in New York City.

I am not sure where the ocean pictures were taken. Atlantic or Pacific. I assume the ocean pictures were taken on mom and dad's roadtrip across America because in the ocean picture my dad appears to be wearing the shirt my mom is wearing in the Death Valley picture.

I do not know if mom and dad have returned to Arizona from their most recent roadtrip across America, that being driving from Arizona to Washington and back. I will call later and see if I can find them.